Marcus Wareing at The Berkeley

Having had a memorable birthday lunch at restaurant Gordon Ramsay a few years ago, I had wanted to sample Marcus Wareing’s fare for a while and then the day finally arrived when myself and a friend had the set lunch menu.

This is what followed…A polite welcome and fully attentive service throughout the ordering of food and wine…no problems there. The interior is spacious if somewhat staid but who cares, it’s the food I’m after……

The Food: The arrival of our first amuse bouches; crisp breads with a velvety houmous, nice but unremarkable in both it’s familiarity and availability from your nearest waitrose deli counter. I expected more wow factor. Tuna carpaccio to start, nice but I’ve had better in Venice where they know how it’s done and do it faithfully.

I was torn between the crispy pork belly and the seasonal lamb. I chose the pork and felt uninspired when it arrived. The accompanying sweet almanac sauce did nothing to sweep the pork to the great heights I was expecting. Casting around my plate for other flavours to make sense of this dish, I found nothing to either punctuate or remedy this disappointment

Then there were the salty turnips. I am forgiving of some things but object strongly to anything which has clearly been cooked in a reduction so salty I could have saved it to eat the following year knowing it safely preserved.

My friend had the seasonal Lamb, which I had a sneaky taste of. It was nicely done, well flavoured and simply more pleasant to eat. I felt a fool for not opting for the lamb and my envy was as green as the lush asparagus on which the tender pink meat rested.

However, my friend commented that it was no better than any good organic reared roast one can now enjoy in many country or gastro pubs.

Before our dessert sauntered in a quirky little sauternes jelly number. This was the undisputed highlight, making my palate sing and tongue tingle.

Proudly, I played it safe for desert. Custard tart. And what a tart it was. I now understand what all the fuss is about. My memories of rubbery tarts covered with a dark, brown film were banished in one lush swoop of the creamiest custard surely know to mankind. The meal had redeemed itself.

The chocolate bonbon trolley that followed tipped the balance and with the sauternes jelly and custard tart truly put the savouries in the shade.

The Wine: Of course a good sommelier will steer you towards a variety of price options and you can order by the glass. But the wine here is staggeringly expensive and if you have a range of aperitifs, champagne, wine with your food and dessert wine you will be paying a lot. Our drinks bill was higher than the food and we just had 2 pink champagne’s, water and tea.

Conclusion: Choosing the set lunch menu here will not reveal the true pleasures and talents of the kitchen – I knew this but had specifically wanted to try the set menu to test the standard so that I could come again without spending so much every time. With drinks the bill was still expensive and I was left feeling that it’s better to come to a restaurant like Petrus and be prepared up front to pay for the a la carte or tasting menu. Note: unless you’re prepared to pay over £50 for a bottle of wine you should be ordering by the glass.

If you think about it, everyone knows that true food lovers will want the choice and variety of a la carte and the tasting menu so I left feeling rather stupid for expecting a dazzling performance from the humble set menu.

Don’t come here expecting brilliance from the set menu – you will probably have a lovely time and eat some lovely food but you won’t come close to understanding why Marcus Wareing has earned Petrus its 2 michelin stars. It will be like trying to touch someone through a sheet of glass. You just won’t feel it.
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maria christofi
Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 7
Tuesday, December 30, 2008

I took my wife here for her birthday last month and it was absolutely fantastic!!

We went to the blue room opposite, which is a nice place to go and have a pre dinner drink.

From the minute you enter the restaurant, you know you are in for a wonderful evening. The food was perfect. The staff were friendly and helpful but not overbearing or making too much of a fuss. I really could not fault it at all. We had the taster menu and each dish was beautifully presented but most importantly tasted wonderful.

The whole experience just oozed quality from the perfectly prepared food, the ingredients used, right through to the quality of service and the ambience of the dining area.
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P Phokou - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 8
Monday, December 08, 2008

Wow, went last night to celebrate a friend's birthday and the whole evening was just perfect.

The staff were all very professional, knowledgeble, accommodating and friendly. Not as stuffy as one would think being in a very posh hotel. The food is outstanding and even though i am a fussy eater i ate everything without making any changes to the amazing menu. The arancini just melted in our mouth and the white truffle risotto was the best i have ever had. Two of us had suckling pig although we would normally chose fish to meat but thank to the manager's reccomandation we were extremely pleased with our choice, the combination of flavours and cuts was sublime.....for once i was speechless...too busy eating.

I have been before but this time was more enjoyable, my friends are already talking about our next visit. Maybe the chef's table.....

Love it, can't wait to go back!!!
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Fanny
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Sunday, November 30, 2008

Marcus Wareing at the Berkeley is my favourite restaurant without a doubt. To my delight the decor has not changed much as a result of the recent change over and if anything the restaurant has got even better. The service is friendly and super efficient without being over bearing adding to the fabulous experience. We had a hard time choosing between the a la carte menu and the tasting menu as were so many wonderful options. Having plumped for the a la carte menu extra courses were still sent from the kitchen; Although every dish was delicious if I had to choose I would say my starter of scallops and cod confit with Fourme d’Ambert and white chocolate has to be the culinary highlight of the evening. It was lovely to get a kitchen tour and see Marcus Wareing at the pass. The wine list, 800+ bins, has something for every budget! I cannot wait to return to try the set lunch menu at £30.
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- View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Gorgeous. Expensive. A real treat. Fabulous staff. Moan out loud food. What else do you need to know?
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- View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Marcus Wareing at the Berkeley is a fantastic restaurant. Amazing food, friendly and efficient service and beautiful surroundings - What more could you want? The set lunch option at £35 for 3 courses is a fantastic way to enjoy 2 michelin star food at a great price.
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- View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Thursday, October 09, 2008

Went here when it was Petrus and thought it was fab but it has lost its way with the food.

Not so inspiring now but still the same expensive prices. Food is still good but not 2 star that you would expect.
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hunter
Overall rating
Food 5 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 2
Wednesday, October 01, 2008

Dined here last night.

I had the lobster and pigs trotters for starter, my wife had the tuna and artichokes. Both were cooked well and full of flavour.

For the main I had the veal and my wife the suckling pig. The pig was very tender and the crackling succulent, though perhaps a little greasy. The veal was cooked pink and delicious. The mushrooms and snails were finely chopped but undistinguishable from one another - a slight problem, as I like snails but am not keen on mushrooms!

For desert I had the raspberry gateaux slices and Eton mess - perfect. My wife had peanut parfait - good, too.

Lots of extras brought to the table in between meals. I would say 8 1/2 out of ten for food, but as this is not possible I will give them a 9!

Service - almost faultless, never in your face but always there. What stops it getting 10 for me is that one waitress rudely hushed away her colleague (the guy who held the platter) which I found unnecessary.

Atmosphere - A nice modern and relaxed feel.

A bottle of £32 red and two coffees brought the bill to around £220.

I had asked for tap water and got a bottle of Evian - not good, but perhaps they did not hear me right. However, we got a couple of glasses of champagne which they missed off the bill - only discovered this in the taxi home!
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nakedlunch - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 8
Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Diners will recall Petrus as a top venue. Well, Marcus Wareing at The Berkeley happily continues this at the same locale. Not much has changed! Interesting starters of Lobster with pigs trotters, lead onto Dorset Turbot with Frog's legs. There is a veg menu, but at £75 for 3 courses, you may want to save this for a special event. Bubbly starts at £12 a glass, but it does go down so well! The interior is a hushed temple to all things gourmet! Save room for the Bob-Bon course!
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Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 8
Monday, September 22, 2008